A snubbing assembly of the type to which the present invention is directed is intended for use in conjunction with a free-standing, knockdown, readily assembled and disassembled, relocatable wall and space divider of the type used to compartmentalize open floor areas, as desired, for internal functional use, and particularly for use in conjunction with a modular wall panel structure adopted for use with such a wall. A preferred form for such a divider wall is disclosed in U.S. Appln. Ser. No. 728,383, filed Sept. 30, 1976 and owned by my Assignee, and a preferred form for such a wall panel module is disclosed in copending U.S. Appln. Ser. No. 728,433, also filed Sept. 30, 1976 and owned by my Assignee.
Such a divider wall incorporates a frame which presents one or more quadrilateral openings, or panel receiving loci, into which one or more modular wall panels are releasably received.
The modular wall panel has a rectangular frame with outwardly opening side channels for receiving a spline retainer. In the preferred arrangement a vertically oriented spline is employed at the juncture between successive wall panels positioned within the panel receiving loci. The spline may be secured to the frame such that the spline is translatable laterally of itself within the plane of that portion of the frame to which it is secured selectively to engage or disengage the outwardly opening side channels in successively abutting wall panels, thereby releasably securing the wall panels to the frame. Similar splines are also provided to effect a releasable connection between the wall panels and the vertical frame member delineating the lateral edges of the panel receiving loci.
Decorative sheet materials may be conveniently applied to, and removed from, the exposed faces of the wall panel modules to facilitate decorating, and redecorating, of the divider wall. In the embodiment disclosed in the aforesaid U.S. Appln. Ser. No. 728,433, a plurality of flat snubbing pieces, or plates, are provided to hold the marginal edge portions of the covering sheets tightly within the outwardly opening side channels. These snubbing pieces are thin, flexible and preferably made of a suitable synthetic plastic material. As such, they are designed cooperatively to interact with the configuration of the wall panel frame to hold the tensioned fabric in place.
Although one can become quite adept at applying and removing the decorative covering material by use of such snubbing plates, it does require considerable manual dexterity, which can only be acquired through experience, to apply the fabric so that it does not pucker along the perimeter of the wall panel module.